The first week in May is Teacher Appreciation Week - it’s a time to let your teachers know just how much you appreciate them! Find out how kids around the world honor their teachers and what you can do to show your own teacher how much you care!
U.S. Teacher Day & Week
The origins of Teacher Day are murky. Around 1944 Arkansas teacher Mattye Whyte Woodridge began corresponding with political and education leaders about the need for a national day to honor teachers. He wrote to Eleanor Roosevelt who, in 1953, persuaded the 81st Congress to proclaim a National Teacher Day to celebrate teacher appreciation across the nation.
Did you know? The State of Massachusetts has its own separate Teachers’ Day since 1976, on September 11.
Famous Teachers
Lots of famous people – scientists, philosophers and even explorers – were also great teachers!
- Albert Einstein: Sure, he was one of the greatest physicists ever, but he was also a university professor!
- Confucius: This Chinese philosopher, born in the year 551, founded his own school where he taught others his ideas about the art of government.
- Galileo Galilei: This great Italian teacher laid the foundations for modern experimental science. He even constructed some of the world’s first astronomical telescopes that could see into space!
- Stephen Hawking: Also a physicist, Stephen Hawking’s work with black holes and the “big bang” theory, also taught at Cambridge University in England for many years.
Global Appreciation
Teachers around the world are given their own special days to celebrate and be honored for the great work that they do. For example, in Argentina, teachers are shown appreciation on September 11 of each year, the date of the death of former president Domingo Faustino Sarmiento, who did a lot for the country’s educational system. In Bolivia, the day is called Dia del Maestro, and is celebrated every June 6, the day on which the country’s capital’s first Teachers School was founded. And, in Taiwan, Teachers Day is on September 28, the same day as the birthday of one of the greatest teachers of all time, Confucius.
What You Can Do
If you want to show your teacher that you appreciate him or her, how about writing them a card or creating a story or poem just for them? Teachers love when you show your creativity. But if buying a gift is more up your alley, try one of the following:
- Books
- Personalized notepads
- Desk accessories
- Calendar
- Charitable donation in your teacher’s name
- Coffee or gift card
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